Phillipians
Bob
O'Bannon
Worship Service -
Joy in Death (Philippians 1:18-26)
Notes on the
Sermon
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Joy in Death
- Overall
- The wages of sin is death - - - all will die (with the
exception of the rapture and 2 people in the Bible)
- So - - What is your personal mission statement in
life?
- Paul's life motto is this: - 1:21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
- What is the way to
live?
- Paul is facing an upcoming trial where he may be
executed as a result of his minsitry.
- Paul is struggling with what will happen - - will he
die soon or to continue living?
- Paul decides he will live in v25 (next point)- - why?
only for the good of others since dying would be much better...
- Verse 25 - Convinced of this, I know that I will
remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the
faith, 26so that through my being with you again
your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.
- So - - - Paul lives for Jesus - v20 - 20 I eagerly
expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient
courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in
my body, whether by life or by death.
- What do we think about when we consider our death?
Undoubtedly, for me, it's selfish (how many people will come to the funeral?)-
- but Paul only thought of exalting Christ!
- There is a certainty in this life - - we will die....
SO - - Do we think about death?
- Today, we think too much about what's unimportnat and
too little on what's important.
- Because we're still alive - - God has a purpose for
you!
- Your not too old, too disabled, too anything - - God
has a purpose for you!
- SO - - live like Paul - - live in a way that exalts
Christ and makes a difference in the lives of others!
- What is the way to
die?
- 1. There is no "purgatory" because Paul
says when he dies, he will be immediatley ushered into
the presence of Christ (Purgatory is a Catholic term for a place
where "leftover" sins are purged away.) The Bible says in Hebrews
10:10 - that we receive the righteousness in Christ by His work on the Cross.
If we receive his righteousness - - how can there be leftover sins - - we
either have the righteousness of Christ or we do not - - period....
- 2. We must reject reincarnation also. (Reincarnation
is where a human soul passes through more than one bodily existence so the
person has the ability to make things right. Reincarnation is a judgnent not a reward because you didnt get
it right the first time you have to pass through another body!)
- Consider what Paul says - - - effectively he says,
when we die our souls go immediately to be with
Christ! Verse 23 - - - 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart
and be with Christ, which is better by far;
- 3. We antiipate the resurrection of the body - So -
when we die, our soul goes to heaven; our body to the grave - - but later, when
Jesus comes again, the resurrection of the body will happen and it will be
reunited with the soul: - - this is called GLORIFICATION!
- Phil 3:20-21 - 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And
we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the
power that enables him to bring everything under his control,
will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like
his glorious body.
- Romans 8:23 - 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who
have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our
adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
- 4. We are certain what will happen to us at
death!
- To die is GAIN for the Christian!
- 1 John 5:13 - 13 I write these things to you who
believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may
know that you have eternal life.
- When we grasp this - - we are
empowered to live in a new way!
- Death only does one thing for the
Christian - - it can usher you into the presence of Jesus - - and that's
it!
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